Somewhere, Someday, Somehow
by BlackbAngeL
Summary: BA fic, set right after you're welcome. Angsty, but hopeful. They meet somewhere, and start talking about their lives. Tell me what you think about it, I crave feedback!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUFFY!!! 10 YEARS TODAY!! or at least, it's today where I am now, in france. 

**Disclaimer:** They're still not mine… If they were, there wouldn't be a « maybe, someday », because they would still be together.

**Rating: **PG-13, for language.

**Distribution:** If you want it, take it! Just tell me where it goes!

**Summary:** Future fic. Buffy and Angel meet somewhere, talk about their lives, and about what might happen, someday…

**Warnings:** There are hints of C/A in that fic. But before you start throwing stones, read. I'm a die-hard B/A shipper, so don't worry!! It's Cordy friendly, but not in a kyerumption sort of way. Thank God.

**Timeline:** Set a few days after "You're welcome".

**AN:** I do my best, but I'm still French, so there are probably spelling and grammar mistakes. I'm really sorry; tell me if it's awful.

**AN2: **Okay,I had someissues with the whole C/A thing. Really, I used to like Cordy, but this… it just creeped me out. I got Angel's complete series on dvd for Christmas, but I still can't bring myself to watch the third and fourth seasons. I try, but my hands won't obey, and I never open the box… Must be some kind of physical reflex, I don't know… Maybe instinct, trying to spare me the vision of a dork Angel making googly eyes at an ex-cheerleader.

But even if I never watched the episodes (except a few ones I saw a few years ago when the French television was kind enough to run the show), I unfortunately know what happens in them.

I saw "you're welcome", and I actually liked it (at least, as much as I can like an episode where Angel is drooling over Cordy). Well, except for the part where she kisses him, but hey, if you knew you were about to die, and Angel was standing a few feet away from you, wouldn't you do the same? And I don't blame her anyway, I blame him.

So, this is my way of making things right.

And boy, could I write a longer author's note? If you read that, you can give yourself a cookie.

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**Somewhere, someday, somehow…**

Buffy was sitting on a bench, under a tree, somewhere on one of the hills that boarded L.A. She was watching the lights of the City of Angels. It was a warm summer night, and she had just come back from Europe a few hours ago. She knew that, sooner or later, she would have to enter the city; she couldn't sit here indefinitely… But she wanted, just for a few minutes, to enjoy that feeling of peace, and calm… She was alone, everything was silent, away from the noise and the madness of Los Angeles. For the first time in months, she felt free. No new slayer to train, or to find, no Andrew driving her insane just by opening his mouth… Just the silence.

Coming back here was hard for her. Too many memories, too much pain… It wasn't Sunnydale, but it was still a big part of her life, her past… She had lost a lot of things here. L.A was the place where it had all started, and somehow, where it had all ended as well. She wasn't sure she was ready for a stroll down memory lane, so she just stayed there, on her bench, trying to find the courage to drive towards the lights.

She knew he was there, because the moment he had entered the park, she had felt him. It was an odd feeling, that even after all those years, she still couldn't explain… The way her stomach was tingling whenever he was near… But she had stopped wondering about that a long time ago.

She waited, pretending that she didn't know he was watching her. When after a few minutes she finally heard his footsteps, she didn't even look at him.

"About time" she said, keeping her eyes on the city.

"I didn't want to disturb you… You seemed… quiet. Lost in your thoughts…"

Neither of them spoke for a moment, and she finally invited him to sit down next to her.

"Yeah, I was having some quality brooding-time…" she said. "You know, about the past, and all… What are you doing here anyway? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I didn't really expect you to come…"

He didn't answer immediately, but after a few second. "Dawn called me" he finally said. "She told me you were coming in L.A to see some relatives. I kinda figured that I would find you here…"

She smiled at that. She would have to talk with Dawn about her conception of the word "discretion". But she wasn't mad at her, after all, maybe it was better that he knew. "One of my aunts died last week. We weren't very close, but I felt like I had to come."

He didn't answer, so she continued. "Life's weird sometimes, isn't it? One day you are a perfectly healthy and happy mother, and the day after that you die in a car crash because somebody you absolutely don't know drank a little bit too much… I guess it's true what they say… You never know what's to come…"

"I can't disagree with you on that."

"So…. How's life these days?" She said, trying to cheer up the mood after her little speech.

"Cordy's dead" he answered abruptly.

Wow… She wasn't expecting that. And she wasn't sure it was something she was ready to process… Cordelia had never really been her best friend, sure, but she had been a scooby. Another part of her past was fading away, and it was hard. Would it ever stop?

"I'm sorry" she finally managed to say. Now that she was looking at him, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. It was hard for him. She didn't ask how it happened; if he wanted to tell her, he would. She wasn't going to push him. "How are you doing?" she asked quietly, her eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine". He didn't look like he was, though. But he apparently didn't want to think about it.

They didn't talk for a few minutes. Buffy knew what it was, to lose someone you're close to… There isn't any word that could make you feel better in that kind of situation. So she just sat there, next to him, not daring to touch him; she didn't know how he would react if she did.

It was Angel who finally broke the silence.

"I loved her, you know?"

She held her breath, not sure at first that she had understood correctly. But, the tone of his voice… Something broke inside of her heart at his words. She'd known it, somehow. And, more than anything, she'd dreaded it.

So, that was it. He'd finally moved on; he'd succeeded in what she knew she would never be able to do. And that hurt more than anything… Cordelia, of all people… But she should have expected it, after all.

She drew a sharp breath, not knowing what to say, what to do… What did he expect from her after saying something like this? She almost laughed at the irony of it all… She was exactly in the place he was a few years before, when she'd lashed out at him, telling him she loved Riley, which, by the way, was one of her most shameful lies…

But before she could start to speak, he cut her off. "I used to think we could have something… I even let myself imagine a future with her for a while… But now, I'll never know if it was even possible." He said that without emotion, as if he was talking about the weather… But she could hear the pain hidden behind is light tone. A pain that was mirroring hers… Because, in a matter of minutes, she'd just lost what she thought would always be there, no matter what. And it was hard.

She was on the verge of tears, but she didn't want him to see it. She was biting her lower lip so hard that she was almost drawing blood, trying to hold a sob that was burning her throat. She knew how it was to lose him. She'd lost him before, more than once.

Or so she thought.

She only realised at that moment that she'd never really lost him before… But now, it was real. He was out of her reach, it was too late.

God, that hurt.

She wanted to leave him here, run, fast, and find a place to hide in. Curl into a ball, and cry… cry until she wouldn't have any tear left.

But in the meantime, she didn't want to leave him alone with his pain. She, at least, owed him that. Comfort, friendship… it was tearing her inside, but she would give him what she could offer, she would be there for him.

But after that, after that evening, she would leave, and never come back. She knew she wouldn't stand to be near him ever again.

It was irrational, and she knew it. After all, they'd barely talked for the last few years, and he wasn't hers. She had no right to be jealous, or to be angry at him… Besides, it wasn't like she had become a nun after he left. She had been with other men… But still, she couldn't help it. It was a feeling she couldn't shut down, she couldn't get rid of… It was beyond her, beyond her understanding… it was instinct.

She had tried to move on as well. Really tried… But she had never managed to forget him.

He hadn't looked at her once since he'd sat on the bench next to her.

She managed to calm down, breathing deeply, and waited for him to go on. She would get through it, she kept telling herself. She would be mature about this.

He let out a bitter laugh. "In the beginning, I even believed what my friends told me. They managed to convince me that she and I were made one for the other…"

That was the most painful blow. If one sentence could kill her, it would be that one.

Angel wasn't usually one to share his feelings, his thoughts… Once upon a time, she would have welcomed that kind of open-hearted discussion with him. But then, she'd never pictured that the day he would finally decide to talk, it would be to confess his love for another woman. And even less his love for Cordelia. And his words were so… cold. He acted as if he didn't care about what she felt.

She didn't hold her tears this time. It was like he was putting salt on her wounds… Everything they'd shared, all the promises, all the "always" and "forever" and "no matter what"… Was that just a lie? Was she really that naïve? And was he really so good a liar?

She cried silently, unable to get a hold of herself… she didn't care if he saw her anymore.

Was it the end? Had they grew so far apart? And, why did she care that much, after all?

Dozens of questions kept popping up in her mind, torturing her… But she couldn't stop.

"The stories they made up, you can't imagine… I wonder if they actually listened to what they were saying…They wanted me to find someone to love, to be happy, and Cordy was there, brave, loving, and caring… So, I told myself, why not?" He made a pause, and sighed. "But she was ripped away from us before we even got a chance to talk about it. And now, it's too late, because she's dead." He chuckled slightly, sadly. "And you know what's worse?"

She didn't answer, not sure she could control her voice and utter a coherent sound, so she just waited.

"I'll never get to tell her the truth. I'll never get to apologize. I'll never get to explain to her that I tried, I really tried, but I couldn't love her the way she deserved to be loved. And I'll never know if she would forgive me for pretending that I could."

The meaning of his words didn't register immediately in Buffy's mind. She was trying so hard to be strong, and to breathe, that she didn't understand at first. After a few seconds, when she finally processed what he had just said, she jerked her head up, holding her breath, and looked at him.

He was still staring at the city's lights. He rested his elbows on his knees, and went on talking.

"You know when I realised that?" he asked. "Almost a year ago. A year, Buffy. When Wesley hired that shaman to remove my soul and make Angelus come back." He sat straight up, and sighed, before talking again. "The shaman created an illusion, a sort of dream of what my perfect day would be. He created synthetic happiness… He gave me everything, my s… my friends, and he gave me Cordy. I knew, somehow, that it was false, but a part of me wanted so bad to believe it was true… The part that wanted to fit in, to be the happy friend they all wanted. But even then, even in an illusion, I couldn't pretend. You can only lie to yourself so many times… The moment he ripped my soul away from my body, I felt that wave of terror coursing through me, and I forgot everything, I forgot what I was doing, forgot Cordy… The dream fell apart, 'I' fell apart, along with all the lies, the games, and you know what was the only thing I could think about?"

He paused, shifting on the bench, and averted his eyes to look at his hands.

"You. All I could think about was you."

She felt her heart beat faster. Did he really mean what she thought he meant? The knot in her stomach loosened a little, as relief washed over her. Relief, and a strange feeling of guilt.

He stood up, and started to pace. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but before she could make a sound, he turned around; he was looking at something behind her, probably just to avoid her gaze, and started to talk again.

The tone of his voice made her jump.

"And I'm sick of it! I'm sick of it, Buffy!" He was shouting, louder and louder. "I try! I've been trying for years to forget, to move on, just like you said you had. But you know what? It doesn't work! And I don't know… I don't know what to do to get you out of my system…" He turned his back on her, clenching his fists.

The anger in his voice startled her. He was furious… and there was something in the way he moved, the way he talked to her… something she couldn't really put her finger on…something akin to hatred, and it made her blood run cold. It had been said that the barrier between love and hate is a thin line. She, of all people, knew how much it was true.

She hadn't understood it right away; the coldness of his voice, his harsh words… he was lashing out at her. He wanted her to suffer. But everything he just said… she could relate.

She felt her own anger and bitterness grow, and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Welcome to my world, Angel" she told with a humourless laugh, standing up to walk towards him. Now he knew what she'd been through, what she'd felt… She reached out to touch his arm, wanting him to turn around and look at her, but he jerked away from her.

"I came here to tell you I never want to see you again. I want you to leave, I want to forget you…" he said, his back still turned, his voice crackling with anger.

She stopped, lowering her arm. Something else broke inside of her… she didn't even know there was still something to break there. But after all, he was the expert in the matter, wasn't he?

She didn't want to fight anymore, she didn't want to hear more hurting words; she surrendered, and decided, for once, to do what he told her.

"Fine" she muttered. She turned around, grabbed her purse on the bench, and started to walk away. Away from him, away from the pain, the angst… she'd had enough.

She had just made a few steps when she felt a hand grab her wrist. She gasped, startled, but didn't do anything to resist.

He pulled her roughly against him, and for the first time that evening, looked at her in the eyes. He was trying to control his ragged breath, and his whole body was trembling. She held his gaze, staring at his eyes… those eyes she always thought she could drown in. There was so much pain there, so much anger, and sadness… The part of her that still cared, the one she had pushed away a few minutes before, felt her heart break all over again, for him. But she was too blinded by her own pain to do anything to comfort him.

Before she could try to escape his grip, he put his arm around her waist, his other hand letting go of her wrist and moving to grab her hair, and he leaned in to kiss her.

When their lips met, Buffy felt a surge of electricity coursing through her. She knew she should do something to stop him, but she didn't find it in her. She quickly responded… She didn't even control herself anymore. Her body was acting on its own, reacting on instinct, recognizing his. She threw her arms around his neck, urging him closer, and deepened the kiss. It was a violent kiss… nothing innocent or healing here, just wild and uncontrollable passion, born out of anger and mixed feelings, of desperation, frustration… and, somewhere inside of them, hidden, but still there, love. The forbidden love of all time, somebody once said.

They lost themselves in that kiss. For a few minutes, they forgot everything; they were past rational thinking, past caring about the consequences… The only thing they could think about was the feeling of each other's body against their own, of their tongues duelling, their hands roaming their bodies, exploring forbidden places…

Buffy's head was spinning, so much that she didn't think she would be able to stand up if he let go of her. Years of denied feelings, of want, of need, fell over her all at once, and she acted upon it. She clang to him as if he was her lifeline, afraid he might pull away, and leave her to bear the cold in her heart and the ache in her body alone. She ran her hand through his hair, the other one resting on his chest, grabbing handfuls of his sweater, while still claiming his mouth with a desperate hunger. He drew her closer, as if wanting to mold her into his body, his hands grabbing her hair, her back, her thighs…

Angel was halfway unbuttoning her shirt when she finally snapped out of it and found some kind of common sense. She pulled away, resting her forehead against the crook of his neck, and, panting heavily, whispered "Angel, no…" He didn't let her go, and tried to kiss her again, but she turned her face away.

"Buffy…" he growled.

Something in his voice made her sober up in the second. She lifted her eyes to look at him, and what she saw there made her shiver… His eyes were empty, the sparkle of love she thought she would always see there, the one that was usually there after they'd shared a kiss, was gone. There was just hunger, need, and… despair? He was just… off. Lost.

She knew that look only too well, for she'd seen it in her mirror every night of the few months she'd spent wondering who she was, why she was there, after coming back from heaven. She used to see it every time she was about to go and find Spike to fuck him out of his mind…

She slowly took a few steps back, fighting the urge to jump into his arms and kiss him senseless to take that look away. She was confused… all those feelings… she didn't know how to handle it. One moment, she was angry, the next, sad, the next… it was an endless circle.

"I won't let you, Angel. That's not the solution, believe me."

His look hardened again, his anger coming back in full force.

"What? You're too good for me now? Maybe I should bleach my hair…"

That was a low blow, and he knew it. She shook her head with disgust at his attitude… She didn't understand him. He wasn't making any sense; he was angry, then sad, then jealous again. What exactly did he want?

Well, she knew only too well what he wanted.

"So, this is it, right?" she shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "You just wanted to come and find me, shout at me, tell me about your latest love interest, and then get a good fuck, to blow off some steam? I'm sorry, Angel… no, actually, I'm not sorry, but I'm not some kind of whore you can bonk when you're in grief without worrying about the consequences! I'm not Darla!"

She didn't wait for an answer. She quickly turned around and practically ran towards her car, her body shaking with rage, her eyes burning with hot tears that threatened to spill anytime now.

She sat down on the driver seat, closing the door roughly. She rested her forehead on the wheel, fighting to control her ragged breath. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it was going to pop out of her ribcage. She stayed there a few minutes, debating the idea of going back there and beating the living shit out of him… or just leaving and not looking back.

But somewhere, in the back of her mind, she kept thinking that she couldn't leave him like that. The small part of her brain that managed to think rationally at that moment knew she couldn't really blame him. He was hurting. Sure, it was no excuse to lash out at her, but after all, she'd done that before… to him, more than once.

When she managed to breathe normally again, she sat back on the seat, closing her eyes, trying to find the strength to go back and talk to him. She stayed like this a few minutes, then finally got out of her car and entered the park. When she found him, he was sitting on the floor against a tree with his elbows resting on his knees and his face buried in his hands. She sat on the bench, and just waited, resuming her observation of the city's lights.

They remained silent for a few minutes, both well aware of the other's presence, but not wanting to start a conversation. Buffy just waited for him to speak, she didn't want to be the one to make the first step. She was tired of always taking the lead… She had enough crises to cope with at home, that was to be expected when you were responsible of a few hundreds hormonally challenged teenagers. Female teenagers.

Angel was once again the one who finally broke the silence.

"I can't do this anymore, Buffy. I don't know how to…" he said, his face still hidden behind his hands.

The sadness in his voice made her heart clench. She moved to come and sit next to him, glad that he wasn't shouting anymore.

"Yes, you do. You've been doing that for years. You know how… you just… forgot what was important."

He gave her strange look. She felt like he was trying to figure out what she meant exactly. She didn't know that it was precisely the problem Cordelia had mentioned to him…

He turned his gaze on the sky.

"I can't do this without her."

Again with the pain. But in the meantime, she understood. He had just lost the best friend he'd ever had, the one that would never had let him down, that would have been there for him no matter what. The one who had sacrificed her humanity because she believed in him…

She tentatively reached out to take his hand. He grabbed it without looking, lacing his fingers with hers.

"Angel…"

"Before she…" he cut her off, "before she died, the PTB gave her twenty four hours to say her goodbyes. A favour of some sort… She told me that I was getting off track. That I needed to see my purpose again… What if I can't? What if she's not here to kick my ass back on the right path the next time I forget?"

She could hear tears in his voice; she felt her own starting to run down her cheeks, but didn't do anything to stop them.

"You still have your friends. You have Wes, and the others… and believe it or not, you have Spike."

He gave her a look.

"I know he's a pain, really. He's lived in my basement for a year, so I'm well aware of how he can piss someone off… But he's loyal, Angel. When you'll need him, he'll be here, fighting the good fight…"

Something finally dawned on him when she said that.

"How do you know he's…" he asked.

"Andrew wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut to save his life."

She stared down at her lap.

"He also happens to have a big mouth" she said with a tiny voice.

When he lifted his gaze to look at her, she continued.

"I know what he told you when he came. About us not trusting you and all… I just want you to know, for the record, that I'm not included in that 'us'. I was outvoted… Xander said I was just too biased to see the truth, and that I wouldn't recognize 'evil intentions' if they were punching me right in the face, as far as you're concerned… I'd had enough of all these fights, so I just let go, and told them to do whatever the hell they wanted, that I was just tired of it. Hence Andrew saying that I didn't trust you…"

She took a deep breath, relieved that they were able to talk again.

"And, really, Angel, I think you should have known better than to believe him. I mean come on, the guy thinks Spike is some kind of god made vampire… it should have given you a clue about his capacity to judge people and opinions" she added with a grin.

He flashed a small smile at her, chuckling slightly.

"You're gonna find the way back to what you are, Angel. I know you are. You're too much of a good person to let Wolfram & Hart win." She squeezed his hand. "You made the right decision. You just need to… adjust. But there's one thing I'm sure of."

He looked at her, waiting for her to go on.

"You're gonna win" she said, looking at him in the eyes. "You're gonna win, and you're gonna keep on fighting, because one of these days I'm gonna be cookies. Really delicious cookies, with the chocolate chips and all, and you wouldn't want to miss that, right?" she said, looking at him with a sheepish smile.

He held her gaze for a few seconds, his eyes still sad but somehow lit up by her speech, and finally put a hand around her shoulders. She moved closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder with sigh. She felt like crying and smiling all at once.

He held her tightly against him, burying his nose in her hair. They stayed like that for what seemed to be an eternity, watching the traffic in L.A, or the sky, without talking.

"There's a price on my head you know?" she said, out of the blue. He squeezed her waist possessively. "More than one, actually. Demons were following me everywhere; I almost got myself killed in London three month ago. Looks like the price is pretty high…" She paused a few seconds, and added with an expression of wonder on her face "I don't know if it's flattering or deeply disturbing."

"I thought they would have left you alone, now that you've released all those slayers in the world…" he said.

"I think they just want to show me how pissed they are for that. We actually had to hide me. We sent decoys all over the world. There are four Buffies now… And I think I'm the only one of them who doesn't get to have a holiday…"

She felt him smile at that.

"No rest for the braves" he replied.

She sat straight up, looking at him with a worried look.

"What if one of them is ruining my reputation? Acting like a slut, or something?" she paused, horrified, panicked at the idea. "I'll have to check on that" she decided "but if you see any of them, don't approach them, and act naturally, as if you thought it was me. You wouldn't want to burn my cover…"

"Don't worry. I'll know if it's not you."

She snuggled closer to his chest.

"Angel?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think that someday… somehow we're gonna…" she asked tentatively.

"Yes" he replied with melancholy in his voice. "Someday, you're just gonna turn around on the street somewhere in Europe, on a trip to find a new slayer, and…"

"And you'll be there, with a box full of cookies?"

He chuckled sadly. "Something along those lines…"

"And you'll sweep me off my feet, kiss me, and we'll live happily ever after?" she said with a sad smile.

"I kinda hope so, yes."

"I hope someday is not too far away."

She knew she was only dreaming. They were both dreaming. They didn't live in a fairy tale… or if they did, it was a sadistic and twisted one. She knew 'someday' was more likely to stay someday forever. That they would live their lives away from one another, (probably die in the near future, given their line of work) and maybe she would be happy without him one day, who knew? But even if she knew it, even if her brain kept screaming at her for letting herself dream like that, she couldn't cut that little voice off. The little voice that said that she was right to dream, that she would get her someday, and her happily ever after. The little voice of hope.

Maybe it would be a long time coming, yes. But, if anything, the last few years had taught her to be patient.

He tightened his embrace, pulling her closer. He didn't want to let her go, just as she didn't want to leave his arms. But they would have to, eventually… It wasn't their time yet, and they knew it. They had a lot of battles ahead of them, the world needed them… And until the day of their reunion, if they couldn't have each other… well, they would seek comfort and happiness where they could. Loneliness was about the scariest thing there was, a wise man had once said…

But at that moment, it was only them. Two lost souls, trying to make sense of a world they didn't really fit in, of a destiny so fucked up that it was almost hilarious, and to cope with a burden too heavy for their shoulders.

It was only about two tired warriors who had sacrificed everything they had, friends, family, and even their love, for a world that would probably never pay them back.

"If you ever need me, Angel… for anything. And by anything, I mean, really anything, and especially if this anything happens to be an Apocalypse, like the one you're about to face… I'll be there in a heartbeat. The Ghost Roads a pretty handy, you know?"

"Don't worry."

"Well that's just it! I worry! I know you, and I know you'll want to take down the Senior Partners on your own… Don't do that. I happen to have quite a lot of Slayers, and a few powerful witches at my disposal. We could come in handy too…" she said, her voice leaving no room for argument.

"You'll be my secret weapon, then…" he replied, holding her gaze intently.

And there it was, back in his eyes. The sparkle she had missed earlier that evening, and that she knew was always there just for her. He was Angel again, the loving and caring Angel, whose eyes were so deep that she could get lost in them, and used to lit up whenever she was near… The one who would never hurt her on purpose, the one she used to know…

She was lost again, drown in two mahogany pools filled with love and longing, and a deep pain that made her want to hold him in her arms until it went away…

Before she knew it, his mouth was on hers, and she was drowning even more… It wasn't like the kiss they'd shared earlier. This one was gentle, loving, and soothing… A kiss full of promise, 'always' and 'I love you'. She circled his neck with her arms and deepened the kiss, wanting to hold onto him forever, revelling in the feeling of his tongue gently teasing hers, exploring her mouth… She was back in a life where things were so much simpler… For a few minutes, she was just Buffy, and he was just Angel, and they were in love. There wasn't any responsibility anymore, any pain, any cold… She was sixteen again, and she forgot about everything else. Past lovers, old wounds, loneliness… everything disappeared. And it felt so right that in the meantime, it made her so sad that she wanted to cry.

Because she knew that she would have to go away.

They pulled away reluctantly, their foreheads touching, and took deep breaths to calm their panting.

She ran her fingers on down his cheek, still looking into his eyes.

"We'll have our forever, Angel" she said, half to convince herself.

"I know." She could hear the sorrow in his voice.

"But you have to get back on track, and to fight. Promise me you will…"

He touched her cheek, mirroring her actions.

"I promise."

She kissed him lightly, barely brushing his lips with hers, and was about to get up, but he held her back.

"Stay with me?" he asked.

They still had a few hours until dawn.

"Always" she replied after a short silence.

She snuggled back against him, holding his hands in hers. She couldn't wait for her someday. She still had to find herself, and to become a cookie… but it wasn't about men anymore. She knew where her heart was. She just had to grow up, and to come to terms with her past. Learn to smile again, a genuine smile, not like the one she still found stuck on her face sometimes, to love, to forgive…

To live.

And then…

Then, someday, she would turn around on a street somewhere, and somehow, he would be there, right behind her, looking at her with his lopsided grin that made her heart melt… He would take her in his arms, and then… She would finally live.

It was worth the wait, wasn't it?

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The End.


End file.
